Combination tref holder and general utility stool



u. L. LARSON June 20, 1933.

COMBINATION TREE HOLDER AND GENERAL UTILITY STOOL Fiied March 17, 1932 2Sheets-She's: l

WWLW

U. L. LARSON June 20, 1933.

COMBINATION TREE HOLDER AND GENERAL UTILITY STOOL Filed March 17, 1932 2Sheets-Shea; 2

awe WM 0710al15017 Z. fl -WML Wan Patented June 2t), 1933 PAT EN UNO L.LARSON, OF GARY, INDIANA COMBINATION HOLDER AND GENERAL "UTILITY STOOLApplication filed March 17,

This invention relates to a combination Christmas tree holder andgeneral utility stool.

The primary objects of this invention are to 5 provide a householdarticle normally to be used as a stool while at the same time capable ofuse as a Christmas tree or staff holder by the removal of several partsand without need for the addition of parts; to provide in such a dualuse article a construction facilitatingthe easy and quick removal orreplacement of parts in preparation for use of the article in eitheralternate use; to provide in such an article aspecial construction fortying the seat of the stool and the cross bars of the holder togetherand simultaneously securing the legs of the device to the stool head toproduce a very rigid and strong stool; to rovide legs pivotally mountedin the holder frame and having arms of unequal length, whereby when saidlegs are turned in one direction about their respective pivotal pointsthey will exert a gripping cam action against the tree trunk interveningbe tween the adjacent upperends of said legs and whereby when said legsare turned in the reverse direction about their respective pivots thesaid legs may lie parallel to, and in the same plane with, said holderframe, to lie perfectly flat therewith; to provide a holder frame withits associated legs and a stool top and associated securing truss boltsand central bracing and supporting block so related as to sizethat thecomplete article as arranged for shipment will not extend beyond a.square area having its center at the center of said holder frame andwill not be of greater thickness than the thickness of said holderframe, whereby said complete article may be readily shipped in a flatknocked down condition, and to provide the ends of the longer arms ofthe legs with simple permanently mounted means having the dual functionsof biting into the trunk of the tree or staff when the 'deviceis used asa holder and of extending into the lower portion of the stool seat andinterlocking therewith when the device is used as a stool.

In this application I show and describe 59 only the present preferredembodiment of 1932. Serial No. 599,575.

my invention simply by way of illustration of the practice thereof, asby law required. However, I am well aware that my invention is capableof a number of other and different embodiments and that the severaldetails thereof may be modified in various ways, all without departingfrom my said invention. Therefore, the drawings and description hereinare to be considered as merely illustrative and not as exclusive.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the Christmas tree holderelement of my invention, when used as a tree or staff holder;

Figure 2, a top plan view of my invention in knocked down shippingcondition;

Figure 3, an edge elevation of my invention in its conditionillustrative in Fig. 2;

Figure 4, a detail fragmentary superposed perspective view illustratingthe interlocking notched construction of the frame bars 1 at theirpoints of intersection with each other Figure 5, a top plan view of myinvention assembled for use as a stool;

Figure 6, a sectional view on the line 66 of Fig. 5, the truss screws 9,central brace blocpk 13 and legs 5 being shown in elevation; an

Figure 7, a fragmentary detail bottom plan view of a portion of thestool seat to illustrate the sockets or kerfs therein.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the frame of the articleconsists of bars 1 arranged in pairs, the bars of each pair beingarranged parallel to each other and at the same distance from each otheras are the bars of the other pair, and said pairs of bars 1 are arrangedat right angles to intersect each other at their common central point.Preferably each bar 1 is notched out for half of its thickness at thepoints where it intersects with the bars 1 of the other pair and at eachpoint for a length equal to the widths of each of the bars of said otherpair, said notches 2 being of course presented toward the opposing facesof each of the bars 1 of said other pair, so that each said notch 2 ofthe one bar 1 will snugly receive the reduced portion of the other bar 1interlocking therewith, whereby the upper and lower faces of said barswhile extending at right angles to each other will lie flush in the sameplanes. lVhen said bars 1 have been interlocked as above described nails3 driven through the points of intersection of said bars 1 serve to holdsaid pairs of bars together in proper braced relationship.

Legs 5 are respectively mounted between the respective end portions ofthe respective pairs of bars 1 by means of tie rods or pivot pins 4respectively passing through the respective outer end portionsof eachsaid pair of bars 1 and the respective intervening legs 5. Each said leg5 has a short arm a slightly less in length than the distance betweenthe axis of its corresponding tie rod or pivot pin 4 and the adjacentface of the adjacent rod 1 extending parallel to said pin or tie rod 4,whereby each said leg 5 may be turned about its pivot pin 4 to lie fiatwith the rods 1. Said rods 1 will preferably be of uniform thickness andsaid legs 5 will preferably be of the same thickness, but will notexceed the thickness, of said rods 1.

Said legs 5 will each have a long arm I) appreciably longer than theirrespective short arms a and preferably of such length that they willoverlap when turned so as to be adjacent the center of the frame,whereby the ends of said long arms I) will exert a squeezing cam actioneffect against the intervening trunk of a tree or staff, with the weightof the tree sustained by the unit as a whole. Preferably the extreme endportion of the arm!) of each leg 5 is provided with a serrated orundulating thin metal grip or shoe to dig or bite into the tree trunk soas to firmly hold and support the same.

\Vhen the invention is to be used as a tree holder, as illustrated inFig. 1, the tree A will extend through the centering opening C of theframe defined by the two pairs of bars by their intersection, beingsupported by the engagement of the said shoes 6 therewith. If preferred,anchoring nails 7 may be driven diagonally through the intersectingportions of said bars 1 and into said tree A as illustrated, and a pan Bmay be provided to hold water in which to immerse the lower end of thetree A to keep the same fresh.

- At points equi-distant from said points of intersection, therespective bars 1 are provided with outwardly and upwardly slantingbores or holes 10 adapted to receive long truss rods or screws 9respectivel extending through the seat at points a jacent andrespectively preferably in a line with the longitudinal center of eachof the respective legs 5, when the article is assembled as a stool, theheads of said truss bars or screws 9 being preferably countersunk in therecesses 8 in the. upper face of said stool 15 so as not to extend abovethe normal upper face thereof. Nuts 11 are respectively applied to therespective lower ends of said truss rods or screws 9, a cover plate orblock 12 being laid over the central intersecting portions of the rods 1to cover the centering opening C and being roughly centered thereon bythe converging lower ends of the truss bars 9. A vertical bracing block13 is disposed centrally or substantially centrally of the block 12 andextends vertically slightly beyond most of the area of the upper end ofeach of the arms 5 and presents a relatively broad fiat face against thebottom of the seat 15, so that as the nuts 11 are turned up on therespective rods 9 the latter will hold the outer portions of the seat 15down against the upper ends of the legs 5 against the opposition of thethrust of the bracing block 13 exerted against the central portion ofthe seat 15 resulting in a very rigid and strong stool construction.

The lower face formed with four equi-distantly disposed kerfs, notchesor sockets 14 extending at right angles to each other and preferablyconverging upwardly in a vertical direction,

the respective notches or kerfs 14 being adapted to receive thecorresponding metal pins 6 of the respective legs.

lVhen the frame and legs are to be used as a tree holder, the seat 15,truss rods or screws 9, nuts 11, block or plate 12 and brace 13 are allremoved, the frame 1 is turned upside down from the position shown inFig. 6, and the legs 5 pivot pins 4 in the direction indicated by heavysolid line arrows in Fig. 1, so as to bring the cleats 6 adjacent thetree trunk to readily bite into the same, whereas when the article is tobe used as a stool the frame is turned back into the positionillustrated in Fig. 6 and the legs 5 are turned about their pivot pins 4in their direction indicated by the light broken line arrows in Fig. 1,so as to present the cleats 6 of the respective legs 5 at the upper andouter portions of said legs whereby the greater thickness of the upperportions of said legs will support the inward and downward pressuresexerted thereon.

Thus, it will be noted that the cleats or plates 6 are offset withrelation to the central portion of their corresponding legs 1 fordefinite purposes, one being to provide greater supporting thickness ofmaterial of the upper ends of the legs when used as a stool, and theother being to provide for better positioning and easy access when usedas a gripping or penetrating element. However, while this relativearrangement is preferred, it is not essential that said cleats 6 shallbe offset with relation to the center of the end portions of therespective plates 5.

As illustrated in Fig. 2, the seat 15 will preferably be of such sizeand outline as to fit within the square of which each two adjacent legs5 with their supporting end portions of rods 1 define the inner sides,to the of the seat 15 will be are turned about their respective t ed foruse as a tree holder,

end that all parts of the article may be packed flat in a box or othercontainer of such size as is capable of receiving the frame with itsarms 5 in flattened condition illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A frame having a central portion defining a centering opening, and aplurality of legs equi-distantly disposed about a common central pointand pivotally mounted in said frame, said frame andlegsbeing adapted foruse as a tree holder, in combination with a stool seat, and means fordrawing said seat tightly against corresponding end portions of saidlegs to hold said seat against said ends, said legs being therebymaintained. in approximately the same angular relation to said frame.

2. A frame having a central portion defining a centering opening, and aplurality of legs equi-distantly disposed about a common central pointand pivotally mounted in said frame, said frame and legs being adaptincombination with a stool seat, a plurality of annularly disposed screwsrepectively extending through the said seat from points in the outerportions thereof adjacent the respective legs to and through theadjacent parts of the central portion of said frame, and nuts turning onsaid screws to draw said seat firmly against the adjacent end portionsof said legs.

3. A. frame having a central portion defining a centering opening, and aplurality of legs equi-distantly disposed about a common central pointand pivotally mounted in said frame, said frame and legs being adaptedfor use as a tree holder, in combination with a block adapted to becentrally disposed with relation to and supported by said frame, avertically disposed central brace adapted to be supported by said blockand of such length as to extend from the upper face of the latter upwardslightly beyond the major portion of each of the respective upper endfaces of each of said legs, a stool seat adapted to bear against theupper end of said central brace, a plurality of annularly disposedscrews respectively extending through the said seat from points in theouter portions thereof adjacent the respective legs to and through theadjacent parts of the central portion of said frame, and nuts turning onsaid screws to draw said seat firmly against the adjacent end portionsof said legs.

4. A frame having a central portion defining a centering opening, and aplurality of legs equi-distantly disposed about a common central pointand pivotally mounted in said frame, said frame and legs being adaptedfor use as a tree holder, in combination with a block adapted to becentrally disposed with relation to and supported by said frame, a

vertically disposed central brace adapted to be supported by said blockand of such length as to extend from the upper face of the latter upwardslightly beyond the major portion of each of the respective upper endfaces of each of said legs, a stool seat adapted to bear against theupper end of said central brace, a plurality of equi-distantly disposedscrews respectively extending through the said seat from points 1n theouter portions thereof adjacent the respective legs to and through theadjacent parts of the central portion of said frame, nuts turning onsaid screws to draw said seat firmly against the adjacent end portionsof said legs, said seat being formed in its lower face withequidistantly disposed sockets corresponding in number and in spacing tosaid legs, and gripping cleats respectively mounted in and projectingbeyond the upper faces of the upper ends of the respective legs andserving the dual functions of biting into the tree trunk when said frameand legs are used as a tree holder and of interlocking with therespective sockets in said seat when said 3 frame and legs are used tosupport said stool seat.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification atGary, Indiana this 25 day of January 1932.

UNO L. LARSON.

